Morgan Viehman Major: Journalism & Mass Communication I've taken intro-level classes in Digital Media Production and Online Journalism, so I have some beginner's experience with PhotoShop, DreamWeaver, and Final Cut Pro. I am planning to declare a Fine Arts minor. I've taken a 2D Design course with GW, and I just finished a course in Italian Renaissance Art in Italy. I grew up on farms, first in Pennsylvania, then midcoast Maine, and have just returned from a semester studying abroad in Italy. Besides living in Florence, I got to travel to Venice, Rome, Munich, Paris, and Edinburgh. I love 2D design and always want to learn more about computer graphics, graphic design, and web design.
Absence Examples:
From Andrew Dawson's one-man show "Absence & Presence" in New York, NY. Read the article here.
One of Michelangelo's "slaves." Technically unfinished but respected as a work of art in their own right, the statues are missing much of their bodies. Read here.
Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth, on display at Tate Modern in London. Read here.
After Effects Article Response: In reading this article, I was amazed at how much of a process used to go into graphics and animation in combination with film. It was so much more of a mechanical process, and I am in awe of the fact someone took the time to do all of that. Even more shocking to me was the realization that I practically grew up with software so sophisticated it could combine all of these things into one easy to use interface.
I can remember playing with iMovie. In middle school, my friends and I went through a big home video phase, where we would shoot ridiculous films on someone’s handy cam, then edit them on our parents’ big desktop computers. We clicked around until we figured it out, and the result was a few wonderfully embarrassing video projects, both for school and for fun, complete with corny graphics, over the top video effects, and obligatory blooper reels. Compared to Mindi Lipschutz’ experience that “you had to spend hundred of thousands of dollars […] you had to go to an editing house, and spend over a thousand dollars an hour to do the exact same thing you do no by buying an inexpensive computer and several software programs,” I feel like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, living on a space station in the year 2049 and attending classes via hologram.
When looked at from this perspective, the revolution in moving image culture from the 1980’s to the 21st century is mind-blowing. I was impressed with this article, not only for its historical value and the fact that I learned a lot more about the history of graphics than I had previously known, but also for the reality check it gave me. We are truly living in a golden age of technology when it comes to animation, film, and graphic design.
Kinetic Typography Project
(Un)Monument(al) Examples a) EXISTING MONUMENTS
Natzweiler-Struthof Monument, built to honor the French resistance fighters who were deported after they were captured while fighting against the German occupation after the defeat of France in June 1940. Click to read more.
The Jean Sibelius Monument, comprised of a series of more than 600 hollow steelpipes joined together in a wave like pattern. Click to read more.
Bangabandhu Square Monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh
b) COULD-BE MONUMENTS
Water tower in Pflugerville, TX
Electric Candles from Japan
Jungle Gym
ArticleResponse Honestly, I thought the piece drove the concept of “counter monuments” so far into the ground that what would have been an interesting idea became boring and over-thought. It was hard to finish the article, and since I’m not very good at thinking abstractly when it comes to artwork in the first place, I didn’t enjoy it. But, I will say that I learned a lot about the types of monuments and anti-monuments that exist in the world, the thinking behind them, and can see where anti-monuments have a place in memorializing people and events. The purpose of the counter monument is to make a person think and truly reflect on what happened, and there is value in that. (Un)Monument(al) Sketches
Light Pollution Dome: Holographic outside depicting cityscape on one side, clear sky on the other. Inside is like a planetarium, depicting the sky at night as it would be without buildings or light pollution obstructing the view. Interactivity potential: Public can go inside the dome, spend time lying down, looking at "stars" and contemplating the meaning of life.
An Iceberg in the Tidal Basin: Ode to the melting polar ice caps. This will be a clear, crystalline material and will glow at night. Interactivity potential: paddle boats can visit it.
Burning Trees: A glowing forest made black stone cylinders with glowing flame-colored tips to memorialize the destruction of the environment (so far). Interactivity: public can walk through the "trees" like a real forest, ideally visited at night.
Bowls for Hunger: Three larger-than-life empty bowls in the style of wheel-thrown pottery to represent Americans who have died of hunger/homelessness. Interactivity: can be walked through on a path, maybe?
The Wigwam: To represent the suffering of America's indigenous peoples, specifically the Northeast, though because I believe those are the only ones who actually used wigwams...Spotlights will be situated at the base of each pyramid-like "column." Visitors should feel like the columns are pressing down on them, would like them to feel the weight of what happened.
Morgan Viehman
Major: Journalism & Mass Communication
I've taken intro-level classes in Digital Media Production and Online Journalism, so I have some beginner's experience with PhotoShop, DreamWeaver, and Final Cut Pro. I am planning to declare a Fine Arts minor. I've taken a 2D Design course with GW, and I just finished a course in Italian Renaissance Art in Italy. I grew up on farms, first in Pennsylvania, then midcoast Maine, and have just returned from a semester studying abroad in Italy. Besides living in Florence, I got to travel to Venice, Rome, Munich, Paris, and Edinburgh. I love 2D design and always want to learn more about computer graphics, graphic design, and web design.
Absence Examples:
From Andrew Dawson's one-man show "Absence & Presence" in New York, NY. Read the article here.
One of Michelangelo's "slaves." Technically unfinished but respected as a work of art in their own right, the statues are missing much of their bodies. Read here.
Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth, on display at Tate Modern in London. Read here.
Absence PhotoShops:
Masks:
After Effects Article Response:
In reading this article, I was amazed at how much of a process used to go into graphics and animation in combination with film. It was so much more of a mechanical process, and I am in awe of the fact someone took the time to do all of that. Even more shocking to me was the realization that I practically grew up with software so sophisticated it could combine all of these things into one easy to use interface.
I can remember playing with iMovie. In middle school, my friends and I went through a big home video phase, where we would shoot ridiculous films on someone’s handy cam, then edit them on our parents’ big desktop computers. We clicked around until we figured it out, and the result was a few wonderfully embarrassing video projects, both for school and for fun, complete with corny graphics, over the top video effects, and obligatory blooper reels. Compared to Mindi Lipschutz’ experience that “you had to spend hundred of thousands of dollars […] you had to go to an editing house, and spend over a thousand dollars an hour to do the exact same thing you do no by buying an inexpensive computer and several software programs,” I feel like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, living on a space station in the year 2049 and attending classes via hologram.
When looked at from this perspective, the revolution in moving image culture from the 1980’s to the 21st century is mind-blowing. I was impressed with this article, not only for its historical value and the fact that I learned a lot more about the history of graphics than I had previously known, but also for the reality check it gave me. We are truly living in a golden age of technology when it comes to animation, film, and graphic design.
Kinetic Typography Project
(Un)Monument(al) Examples
a) EXISTING MONUMENTS
b) COULD-BE MONUMENTS
Article Response
Honestly, I thought the piece drove the concept of “counter monuments” so far into the ground that what would have been an interesting idea became boring and over-thought. It was hard to finish the article, and since I’m not very good at thinking abstractly when it comes to artwork in the first place, I didn’t enjoy it. But, I will say that I learned a lot about the types of monuments and anti-monuments that exist in the world, the thinking behind them, and can see where anti-monuments have a place in memorializing people and events. The purpose of the counter monument is to make a person think and truly reflect on what happened, and there is value in that.
(Un)Monument(al) Sketches